ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fall — the season
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fine — all right
  9. degree — temperature
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. degree — an amount
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fine — high quality
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. branch — a division
  22. fall — to drop
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com